Broken bones and injured tendons or ligaments can cause significant pain. Casts and splints are designed to help relieve this pain by limiting movement, says the American Academy of Family Physicians. To care for your cast properly, the AAFP offers these suggestions: Cover your cast with a plastic bag when bathing and showering. Ask your… read on >
Being shorter than average can bring numerous annoyances, but a new study suggests it might also heighten a person’s odds for type 2 diabetes. The German study found that each additional 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) of height was linked to a 41% lower risk of type 2 diabetes in men and a 33% lower… read on >
When made at home, smoothies can be delicious and nutritious (store-bought versions often contain lots of sugar and an abundance of calories). But when it comes to feeling satisfied, a rich, thick soup has them beat. There’s science behind the diet tip to eat filling soup when the soup is a thick, blended puree. A… read on >
The Alexander Technique has been used for more than 100 years to improve performance, posture and other body mechanics, yet it’s arguably the least well known method for achieving these benefits. Though some people call it a form of bodywork, practitioners describe it as an educational method, because it teaches you to recognize and then… read on >
Over the past four decades, the U.S. has seen a sharp rise in the number of pregnant women with high blood pressure, new research reveals. For the study, the researchers analyzed data from about 151 million hospitalizations between 1970 and 2010 to determine the rates of chronic high blood pressure in pregnant women aged 15… read on >
To the many ways in which coffee seems to confer unexpected health benefits, add a lowered risk of painful gallstones. After tracking nearly 105,000 Danes for an average of eight years, researchers found that those who downed more than six cups per day of the world’s most popular beverage saw their gallstone risk drop by… read on >
Your kids had a good summer. You were able to get them away from the TV and outside to play for lots of exercise. But now, they’re back to school and you want them to keep off the pounds. The Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati says lunches provided by many schools are loaded with… read on >
Fainting occurs when the brain temporarily doesn’t receive enough blood, says Mayo Clinic. Fainting may have no known medical cause, or it can be a sign of a serious disorder. Because of this, always treat fainting as a medical emergency, Mayo says. If someone faints, Mayo urges you to: Position the person on his or… read on >
Intensive treatment to lower high blood pressure can decrease older adults’ risk of sharp blood pressure drops that can cause dizziness and increase the likelihood of falling, a new study says. It included more than 2,800 patients, average age 63, who had recently suffered a stroke. Half received more aggressive treatment to lower their blood… read on >
Moderate exercise is known to improve blood pressure — and that may include activities that are more exotic than a brisk walk, two preliminary studies suggest. In one, researchers found that “hot” yoga classes lowered blood pressure in a small group of people with modestly elevated numbers. In the other, hula dancing showed the same… read on >
